‘We won’t pay’ - pressure is rising in Ireland against hated water tax

A huge protest movement has erupted in Ireland over the introduction of water charges. Annette Mackin reports from one of Dublin’s largest ever demonstrations

Published Tue 16 Dec 2014

Issue No. 2434

Lorraine (far left) doesn’t want to line the pockets of the politicians’ pals (Pic: Socialist Worker)

The people of Ireland are in revolt. Over 100,000 brought the city of Dublin to a standstill on Wednesday of last week to deliver a message to the government—we will no longer put up with your austerity.

Ordinary people have faced six years of cuts and worsening poverty since the collapse of the economy.

Meanwhile there has only been a recovery for the rich. It was reported in October that the total number of millionaires has hit 90,000—out of a population of 4.5 million.

But the final straw for people has been the latest government swindle to set up a company to charge for water.

Lorraine O’Dwyer took her children out of school to travel the 70 miles from Wexford to attend the demonstration.

She told Socialist Worker, “It has been very hard. I’m a single mother and I’m working in retail. Six years ago I was married and had my own business.

“I’ve done everything I’m supposed to do. I don’t know where I’ll find the money to pay the charges.

“I won’t pay, because I can’t. It’ll mean more late night calls from debt collectors, which is happening enough as it is.”

The governing coalition between Fine Gael and Labour wants to hit homes with a 260 euro (£208) a year per adult charge for water usage. This cost would increase over the years.

Irish Water already gets one billion euros from central taxes.

Michael worries about his children having to emigrate because of Ireland’s austerity (Pic: Socialist Worker)

The march and rally was organised by the Right2Water campaign. But the rage people felt was much broader.

Like thousands of people on the protest, Lorraine was there to fight for a better future for young people who are facing years of austerity.

Since the crisis in 2008 an estimated 400,000 young people have been forced to leave the country and look for work elsewhere.

Pockets

Lorraine said, “I don’t want to be paying to line the pockets of the friends of the politicians.

“I’m here for my kids and what they will be put through.”

What’s in store for the future was a fear shared by Michael Kelly, a plumber who travelled from Roscommon to join the protest.

“I’ve got three children in college and I can’t do anything for them, I’ve got no money. The alternative for them will be to emigrate,” he told Socialist Worker.

“I emigrated and my father emigrated before me. Enough is enough.

“It’s all bills, bills, bills. We have to make a stand.”

Michael and Mary Donnery from Dublin agreed. They said, “We were born in the 1930s and they were hard times, we had nothing.

“We are seeing a return to that now. People are being sent to their graves with nothing.

“They are being kicked out of their homes because they can’t afford their mortgage and are living in hotel rooms.

“It’s only going to get worse down the road—the rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer.”

Tens of thousands poured into Merrion Square opposite the Dail Eireann, the Irish parliament, from feeder marches across the city.

Thousands assembled at Heuston station to march along the city’s quayside to the rally.

Wednesday’s protest was just the latest step in the mass revolt against the planned charges.

Marching

In October 100,000 protested in Dublin. As a percentage of the population, this would be equivalent to 1.5 million marching in London.

This was followed up with a demonstration of 200,000 in November.

And it hasn’t just been huge national demonstrations in the capital. Mass protests and resistance has been seen on a local scale.

In November in Letterkenny, a town of 20,000 in Donegal, about 10,000 people marched.

In Drogheda, population 38,000, it was 8,000. In small towns like Swords, north of Dublin, and Bray, south of Dublin, Sligo in the north west and Waterford on the south coast, the figure was about 5,000.

Even in places such as Fermoy in Cork with a population of about 5,000 and Gorey in Wexford, population 9,000, saw up to 2,000 on the streets.

Michael and Mary can remember the 1930s and don’t want to go back (Pic: Socialist Worker)

People have burnt their letters from Irish Water and have vowed not to pay the charge. In Merrion Square on Wednesday the crowd chanted, “No way, we won’t pay” and “From the river to the sea, Irish water will be free.”

The stakes are high—at the rally on Wednesday the biggest cheers went up for speakers who called for the fall of the government.

Richard Boyd Barrett is a People Before Profit member of the Irish parliament and has been one of the central figures of the Right2Water campaign.

He told the rally, “We are here to give the government an unmistakable message, either they make the right choices or they are out, they are history.”

The huge crowd in Merrion Square responded with chants of “Out, out, out!”

Throughout the day the feeder marches rang out with chants of “Enda Kenny, Kenny, Kenny—out, out, out!”

Strung

Diarmund said, “I think Kenny should be strung up. Let him call an election and see what happens.”

There is a growing mood for fundamental change across the country.

Until now there has been little in the way of resistance, with trade unions failing to organise a fightback (see below).

But people’s anger over austerity has found expression in the water charges movement.

Left wing populist party Sinn Fein are topping the opinion polls, and their leader Gerry Adams got a huge reception when he addressed the rally.

To cheers he told the crowd, “This is real democracy. You have put the government on the run.

“Struggle is about empowerment. And this is a brilliant example of people being empowered.

“You are never given your rights—you have to take them.”

But while Sinn Fein’s rhetoric may be radical in the south of Ireland, in Northern Ireland they have joined up with unionists to push through £870 million in cuts. This is then to be followed by a further £1.3 billion in cuts between 2016 and 2019.

The next stage of the movement will be crucial. Organisers are planning another demonstration for 31 January and are saying the fate of the government hangs on it.

Richard said, “In the new year we have to organise to assemble, all of us in the hundred places where there were demonstrations.

“You have to organise people’s assemblies in your area. Organise to plan how we will bring this government down and put forward an alternative.”